1. Technical Field
The present invention pertains to absorbent articles, such as sanitary napkins, pantiliners, panty shields, incontinent pads and interlabial devices that are designed to absorb and contain menstrual fluids and other human female body exudates from the pudendal region and to prevent body and clothing soiling. The present invention particularly relates to absorbent articles to provide the wearer with subtle understated sexual expression or subtle non-verbal communication, short of exposing themselves when viewed on the outer crotch surface of a human female wearer's undergarments or outer garments of every day dress or casual usage or tight fitting clothing, body suits, swim suits, leotard, sports tights, or similarly thin or close-fitting outer garments and the like.
2. Glossary of Terms
The term “absorbent article”, as used herein, refers to articles such as sanitary napkins, panty liners, panty shields, incontinent pads which absorb and contain human female body exudates with various styles such as without or with flaps, hump on the body faceable side, various conforming styles of human female body authentic external genitalia and the like or interlabial absorbent articles which fit into the human female genitalia's interlabial space.
The human female “genitalia” or “external genitalia” is a collective term used to describe the visible external human female genital region extending from the mons pubis to the perenium.
The “intersection” of the separate cosmetic human female crotch enhancer element with the rest of the absorbent article refers to a surface parallel to the garment faceable side of the absorbent article and may have any random encircled shape or the shape of a circle, oval, trapezoid, rectangle, triangle, pentagon, or hexagon.
The term “longitudinal medial hump” refers to a narrow volume centered along the longitudinal centerline of the absorbent article and provides additional absorbent capacity and liquid acquisition capability and preferably maintains the absorbent article in close physical contact with the human female wearer's body, particularly the inward-faceable surfaces of the wearer's labia majora. It also provides the absorbent article with a centering/positioning mechanism. The hump forming volume is preferably a compressible and resilient material. The hump forming volume may comprise a material that is different from the material used in the absorbent core. The compressibility allows the hump (or a least partially the top portion of the hump faceable the wearer's body) to narrow and fit comfortably in the space between the human female wearer's labia. The resiliency allows the hump to better conform to the human female wearer's body and maintain such contact during the wear. The hump forming volume is both wet and dry resilient so as to provide the resistance to collapsing under the conditions encountered during the wear.
The term “pudendal region” refers to the externally visible female genitalia and is limited to labia majora, labia minora, the clitoris, and the vestibule.
The term “interlabial space” refers to that space of the female anatomy which is located between the inside surfaces of the labia majora extending into the vestibule. Located within the interlabial space are the labia minor, the vestibule and the principal urogenital members including the clitoris, the orifice of the urethra, and the orifice of the vagina. Standard medical authorities teach that the vestibule refers to the space bounded laterally by the inside surfaces of the labia minora and extending interiorly to the floor between the clitoris and the orifice of the vagina. The interlabial space for the purposes of the present description does not extend substantially beyond the orifice of the vagina into the vaginal interior.
The “inward-faceable” surfaces of the labia majora are those surfaces of the labia majora adjacent the space between the labia majora associated with the human female external genitalia.
The term “sanitary napkin”, as used herein, refers to an article which is worn by females adjacent to the genitalia and which is intended to absorb and contain the various exudates which are discharged from the body (e.g., blood, menses, and urine). Interlabial devices which are reside partially within and partially external of the wearer's vestibule are also within the scope of this invention.
The term “separate volume” refers to a separate cosmetic human female crotch enhancer element positioned on the garment faceable side which gives a simulated appearance of exaggerated contours and curves associated with human female external genitalia with a pudendal cleft associated with a human female external genitalia; or with the simulated appearance of the exaggerated pudendal cleft associated with the human female external genitalia with any one combination of labia majora as if spread open manually or labia majora as if the human female's thighs appear to be are far apart or as if labia majora is not spread open, labia minora, clitoris, clitoral hood and other externally visible parts of the female genitalia within the pudendal cleft as they appear to project out of the labia majora starting from anterior commissure of labia majora to posterior commissure of labia majora or part thereof associated with the human female external genitalia; without or with the simulated pubic hair on the garment faceable side of the said cosmetic human female crotch enhancer element.
3. Description of the Related Art
Absorbent articles, such as sanitary napkins, pantiliners, panty shields, incontinent pads and interlabial devices that are designed to absorb and/or contain menstrual fluids and other human female body exudates from the pudendal region and to prevent body and clothing soiling are well known.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,387,084 issued to VanGompel, et. al. on May 14, 2002 entitled, “Sanitary Napkin With Garment Attachment Panels” describes an elongated sanitary napkin with garment attachment panels. The form and construction of the absorbent pad is generally conventional. In preparation for use, the peel strip is removed from the absorbent pad exposing the garment adhesive and absorbent article is centered and mounted on the crotch portion of an undergarment in the usual way: There is no focus on providing the simulated appearance of exaggerated curves and contours associated with the human female's external genitalia.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,392,117 issued to Mayer, et. al on May 21, 2002 entitled, “Body Fitting Compound Sanitary Napkin” describe a primary absorbent member and a secondary absorbent member. Both the primary and secondary absorption surfaces contact the wearer's body for the primary purpose to receive and contain menses and other vaginal discharges. The primary absorbent layer is sized to fit at least partially within the pudendal cleft of a wearer during use. There is no focus on providing the simulated appearance of exaggerated curves and contours associated with the human female's external genitalia.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,518,451 issued to Luceri, et. al on May 21, 1985 entitled, “Embossed Panty Liner” focus on pleasing embossed patterns such as flowers, lines, spots and the like, on the body faceable surface and longitudinal edges. There is no focus on providing the simulated appearance of exaggerated curves and contours associated with the human female's external genitalia.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,406,648 issued to Noel, et. al. on Jun. 18, 2002 entitled, “Method Of Making Shaped Foam Implements” describes a three dimensional foam implement with the focus is on conforming to the female pudendal region. There is no focus on providing the simulated appearance of exaggerated curves and contours associated with the human female's external genitalia.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,171,291 issued to Osborn, III, et. al. on Jan. 9, 2001 entitled, “Generally Thin, Flexible, Sanitary Napkin With Central Absorbent Hump” describes a sanitary napkin with a longitudinal medial hump for centering/positioning mechanism and better contact and conforming to the shape of the wearer's body, particularly with the “inward-faceable surfaces” of the wearer's labia majora. In one embodiment, the absorbent article may comprise a sanitary napkin having an absorbent core that separates from the backsheet of the sanitary napkin The separation of the absorbent core from the backsheet accommodates the independence of movement between the body of the wearer and the wearer's undergarments. In an alternative embodiment, the sanitary napkin is provided with a panty fastner having a configuration that allows the portion of a sanitary napkin containing the hump to separate from the wearer's undergarments to accommodate the independence of movement between the body of the wearer and the wearer's undergarments. In another embodiment, the sanitary napkin may have a traversely segmented hump adapted to better conform to the body of the wearer. In still another embodiment, the sanitary napkin may be extensible in the longitudinal direction, the lateral direction, or both. There is no focus on providing the simulated appearance of exaggerated curves and contours associated with the human female's external genitalia.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,804,380 issued to Lassen, et. al. on Feb. 14, 1989 entitled, “Anatomically Shaped, Self-Aligning, Sanitary Protection Device” describes a sanitary napkin where the forward portion of this device is flattened to cover the externally the area of the mons pubis and the area exterior to the clitoris. The back portion of this device is formed in a peak like shape which readily adjusts to and molds to the inverted V-shape of the rear portion of the labia, the perineum and the forward portion of the area between buttocks. There is no focus on providing the simulated appearance of exaggerated curves and contours associated with the human female's external genitalia.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,324,278 issued to Visscher, et. al. on Jun. 28, 1994 entitled, “Sanitary Napkin Having Components Capable Of Separation In Use” describes a sanitary napkin where the components it is comprised of may separate in relation to other components of the sanitary napkin to accommodate the independence of movement between the body of the wearer and the wearer's undergarments. There is no focus on providing the simulated appearance of exaggerated curves and contours associated with the human female's external genitalia.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,261,271 B1 issued to Osborn, III, et. al. on Jul. 17, 2001 entitled, “Absorbent Interlabial Device” describes an absorbent interlabial device that is worn interlabially for catamenial purposes, incontinence protection, or both. There is no focus on providing the simulated appearance of exaggerated curves and contours associated with the human female's external genitalia.
None of the references suggest the usage of absorbent articles to provide the human female wearer with subtle understated sexual expression or subtle non-verbal communication, short of exposing themselves when viewed on the outer crotch surface of a human female wearer's undergarments or outer garments of every day dress or casual usage or tight fitting clothing, body suits, swim suits, leotard, sports tights, or similarly thin or close-fitting outer garments and the like.